CNBC reports RGE Robert Gulpen Engineering has created a Gold-plated Lamborghini Aventador set to go to auction soon for more than $7.5 million. The custom exotic is set to sell for at least 15 times more than it’s typical price.

According to a Bankrate.com auto loan calculator a four year car note would cost more than $190,000. The Lamborghini Aventador is big money this Monday. Read more at Huffington Post Money.

The Dream Act, a bill that would create a path to citizenship for more than 2 million undocumented residents called dreamers sits in the halls of congress as the GOP and President Obama have failed to come to a workable compromise on the measure. The Act creates a six-year process that includes requirements to attain higher education or serve in the military.

In August, an executive order President Obama called a “stop gap” measure took effect. The order delays deportation to an estimated 1.8 million undocumented residents who entered the country before age 16 for 2 years. The order is certainly far from Obama’s 2008 campaign promises to get the bill passed.

While Dreamers wait on long term relief from the federal government others have come to their aid. A small catholic university outside Chicago paid tuition costs for 17 undocumented residents with private dollars. Dominican University President Donna Carroll calls the move “a commitment to social justice.” Illinois Rep. Randy Ramey called helping the undocumented students; “breaking the law” although he recognized state dollars were not used.

While not all state lawmakers are on board with Dominican University’s move, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed the Illinois Dream Act in May; the first state law of it’s kind. The law is “designed to make scholarships, college savings, and prepaid tuition programs available to undocumented students who graduated from Illinois high schools.

As Dreamers wait on long-term federal plans to address immigration policy many may look to states and private sources for help as President Obama enters his second term.

Ball State University Sophomore Cariema Wood took advantage of the SGA Election Day Shuttle just after 9:00 AM this morning. Wood, who voted for the first time today says the SGA Election Day Shuttle was, “convenient and easy to use.” However she did experience some trouble after initially entering the wrong polling place at the Anthony Administration Building, read more at TheVoiceBSU Storify.

Perhaps you’ve been watching Republican contenders compete for the party presidential nomination these last few months, you’ve likely forgotten all that has happened so far during this wide-open contest. If so, you’re not alone. The candidates are forgetting too. So lets re-cap.

Texas Governor Rick Perry was first to forget at a November 9th debate when naming the 3 agencies he says he’ll cut if he reaches the Oval Office. Perry said “Commerce, Education, and the umm…” His forgetfulness was a catastrophic slip that should have been plugged by the naming of the Energy Department. Perry later commented, “I’m glad I had my boots on tonight. I stepped in it out there.”

Perhaps energy is what Candidate Herman Can was lacking when thoughts started to “twirl” around in his head in a meeting with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board. When asked if he agreed with President Obama on his handling of Libya, Cain displayed a major fumble. Cain explained his disagreement after a long pause with, “no that’s a different one!” Cain went on to ask for more clarification as if he had forgotten the question. Cain later told CNN he was, “too tired”, to do the interview.

Cain and Perry seem to share a lack of “energy”, and since they’re sharing Cain may need Perry’s boots. He has certainly “steeped in it” after four women have come forward accusing him of sexual harassment. Early on, Cain told ABC News reporters, “I don’t even remember her”, speaking of Sharon Bialek, who remembered enough to issue a press conference along-side Woman’s Rights Attorney Gloria Allread. Cain stands by his claim he has done nothing wrong. As soon as we began to forget claims against Cain that had all but died in the media, a Georgia businesswoman surprised us with another reminder late Monday. Ginger White told FOX affiliate WAGA, “It wasn’t complicated. I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship.” During what is being called a “preemptive strike” Cain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer he has known White for years; although he denies in extra-marital affair.

Perhaps these two candidates who are still viable options for the “anybody but Romney” crew are truly weary from the exhaustion of the campaign trail, or perhaps both Cain and Perry should bow out, and well, forget about it!

Originally published, Fall 2011

Chris J. Taylor and IamChrisJTaylor.com claim no political affiliations

Late last year I was charged with conducting an ethnography on a cultural group. I choose to take a closer look at the lives of women who call themselves natural. Natural women are typically of the African diaspora. Naturals are women who choose to wear their hair in its natural state (chemical free).

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Some have called Pi Nappa Kappa a “mockery” of the Divine 9, what is your response to these sentiments?

Anifowoshe: Well, I am happy to learn about the divine 9. Through all of this I have had a crash course in the Divine 9. “Mockery” first of all that is not my style. When I set out to create this they were not on my mind. A Sisterhood for the greater good was on my mind.

I have had the Natural Hair Society for 2 years. It’s been on Facebook, it has 400 plus fans. One day, through inspiration I decided to merge my natural hair society into a Sorority because the word society was not reaching the target audience I needed to reach.

I researched the word Sorority and liked the full definition in relation to Sisterhood. It encompassed all I wanted it to be. To mock something is to disrespect it. How can I disrespect something that I knew so little about? The part I did know about sororities was limited to my knowledge of seeing AKA’s and Delta’s on college campuses but never getting close enough to understand the culture. I did like the bonds that I could see and thought they were admirable. I could not mock something that was intended to uplift a people. I wish they would just reach out to me and get to know what we’re all about.

We are not just a Facebook group. I have over 20 yearsexperience as a Business Woman and as a Social Entrepreneur as well as a Social Activist. I’ve done community service since I was 9 years old. My late Godfather has a Community service building named after him that I continue to volunteer for and support. I have done more to help charities than I can mention in this short bio.

I still am not clear why such aggression towards me when my goal is similar to theirs. Yes, I know they are 100 years old and we’re not 100 days old so I do not know why we are even being compared to them. That’s like Michael Jordan shaking a stick at a Kindergartner saying, “How many balls have you dunked?” I say, give us a chance to see what we are. We respect them and what they do and just ask for the same. We are not trying to encroach on what they do. We are just trying to serve an underserved group of individuals. If PiNK’s are also AKA’s we welcome them. We have several women now who are also part of the Divine 9, who also pledged PiNK; I see no problem with that.

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Would you consider renaming Pi Nappa Kappa to satisfy those who claim it makes a mockery of the divine 9?

Anifowoshe: The Divine 9 came about as a result of not being able to fit in the white establishments. Therefore, they created their own space. Would they have ceased to exist if those existing establishments had asked them to change? Also, them merely claiming that we are making a mockery of them does not make it so. That is complete hogwash! So in short, absolutely not. We have almost 2000 signatures on a pledge in 5 weeks of women who have pledged natural. They like the name Pi Nappa Kappa.

We chose Pi as it relates to the circumference of a circle (our head) Nappa to represent natural and kinky and Kappa because the Kap covers the Pi (cap our afro covers the circle “Pi” our head). Hence the name Pi Nappa Kappa. We also made up the word Nappa as to clearly distinguish us from traditional Greek organizations.

We want to be a hybrid of formal and fun. We just want to have fun with it. We are no more mocking the Divine 9 than Facebook is when they came out with Sorority Life. I do not see any of them sending threatening letters to Mark Zuckerberg! They are the one’s that created the real Facebook based sorority. Why not attack them?

Iamchrisjtaylor: If Pi Nappa Kappa does not reach active status, 10,000 pledgers, will you drop the Greek innuendo and call it a “natural sisterhood”

Anifowoshe: We are a natural Sisterhood. Would McDonalds change its name to McDoogles if it is working as McDonalds? 10K pledges has nothing to do with the existence of PiNK. It is simply a pledge that states what it states. If for some odd reason it does not make it then we will start with another one. But as long as 1 person has signed it, it is official. As in the bible, if one sheep is lost we must find that one. That is how we feel about our members. This whole Greek thing is really getting on my nerves because that is not the main point here. We are descendants of Africa and that is our primary aim to protect. We will not put Greek anything ahead of what we are doing here. Our mission is clear and it does not include defending our choice of a name all the time. There are many sororities that have nothing to do with the divine 9. There are professional sororities, religious and cultural. They really need to either join us and help support our mission or leave us to do our own thing. We are not in their space they are in ours.

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Any additional comments you would like to add?

Anifowoshe: I would like to say perhaps I was a bit naïve to think I was going to land on the people this great idea of Pi Nappa Kappa and be accepted with open arms for finding a way that can unite Black women with natural and straight hair to love and embrace who God made them. I was certainly taken aback when Black men, the same kind of man whom I have given birth to 3 (future black men) and was born from one – my father a black man whom I deeply respect, but then they attacked me from the Greek organizations with threats and insults when I showed up to show them love they showed up to beat me up. That hurt. Black men are supposed to love and protect black women. Not insult and fight us. If we are strong, you are stronger. If we believe in ourselves, we believe in you. If our lives are valued we can impart that in our children – your children. My request to the Divine 9 in humility and in spirit “Can’t we just all get along?”

I weigh 145 lbs. and cannot physically fight anyone, but I am commissioned to do this Mission and I stand strong on my Principles and until the day I die, I will stand up for injustice wherever it is. Until Black children can pass the Black Doll test, Pi Nappa Kappa has a need to exist.

Late last year I was charged with conducting an ethnography on a cultural group. I choose to take a closer look at the lives of women who call themselves natural. Natural women are typically of the African diaspora. Naturals are women who choose to wear their hair in its natural state (chemical free).

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Has the growing culture of natural women created a micro-economy?

Anifowoshe: When it relates to black people there are many micro-economies. I suppose it has, as the need for quality products to serve naturals was not in existence in the past. Products made for most consumers are not of the highest quality in relation to health that is why the Green movement has surfaced as well. So you can say that it has but it also part of a bigger economy as naturals will also look more into Green living as well as quality natural hair products.

iamChrisjtaylor.com: It seems many naturals run small businesses or blogs marketing products primarily to other naturals, do these women become entrepreneurs because they became natural or because they were already entrepreneurs?

Anifowoshe: If you look at the trend of small business growth in the U.S. Black women comprise of the fastest growing segment of all small business in the U.S. I do not believe that a woman becomes a business owner just because she is natural no more than a woman becomes a business owner because she is relaxed. The Asians have traditionally been the major players in the black hair community with the weave hair and relaxers. In the natural hair segment, it may pose different opportunities for Black people to serve their own communities. There is a paradigm shift in hair care when it comes to natural hair that sets a different set of dynamics in place in relation to black hair care. If being natural makes on an entrepreneur than the Hair has even more power than I first thought. So to answer your question, those who will be naturalpreneurs were most likely already entrepreneurs who have targeted natural marketing. My biggest question is “How come there was not this much scrutiny to Black consumerism when Asians and others were the primary winners. Now that it appears that a few black owned companies may have a little say in the market it is suddenly a question of intent?” Furthermore, being an entrepreneur does not minimalize one’s contribution to the Cause. Just as the gentleman who owns Tom shoes monetizes his business, it does not take away from the fact that he still gives away one pair for every pair sold.

Finally I want to say on the issue of Black businesses. I think we should be held to the same accountability that we are asking from others who have historically gained from black dollars and that is “What are you going to give back to the communities that purchase from you? Being a black owned business is not enough if you are still not going to sew into your community and create jobs within your community or reach out through civic duties.

Late last year I was charged with conducting an ethnography on a cultural group. I choose to take a closer look at the lives of women who call themselves natural. Natural women are typically of the African diaspora. Naturals are women who choose to wear their hair in its natural state (chemical free).

Anifowoshe: This answer is twofold: First, because I am a health coach and through my research discovered all the dangers associated with relaxing hair with chemicals.

Second, because I became conscious of my decision to relax and did not like what I saw in the mirror. It was more of a Becoming as opposed to a going.

I like how you phrased the question “Why did you “become” natural because too many people have it confused with “Going” natural and a person cannot go to something that they were born with. They can only return to or “Become” what, they were meant to be.

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Are there enough resources for women who have natural hair? What is the need you see among natural women for an organization of this kind?

Anifowoshe: In relation to Black women, because we are often underserved in any area in regards to proper information, then my answer is an unequivocal “NO!” How can there be enough resources when we have an entire World (not even nation) of women of African descent, who for the first time in their lives are getting acquainted with their natural born hair.

It is not uncommon for a Black woman in her 30’s 40’s even 50’s to walk into a salon and ask “How do I take care of my natural hair because I do not understand it?” So, if we have to undo what 100’s of years of slavery has done to us then of course there are not enough resources.

Furthermore, we are not just another “share the how to get curly hair tips” kind of organization. We are here to really live up to what our pledge has stated. We are here to respect and be respected. We will not tolerate bigotry, self-hate or any of that foolishness. We will share the God given abilities to all that want to receive them. We are here to share what the world needs and that is love of self and empowerment.

Let me further clarify. We did a Natural hair event last year and had a panel discussion. It was entitled “Why is our natural hair so foreign to us, getting to the root of the problem.” We discovered that there were many deep-rooted issues that surfaced and all because we started with the conversation of our hair. The conversation got so deep that we had to insist to the crowd that the Discussion was over. The people did not want to leave the auditorium as they were enamored by the discussion. Perhaps because it resonated with them to the core of their being; that’s natural.

Let’s not undermine the value and the power of Black folks’ hair. Our hair is unlike any hair in the entire world. There is no other hair that can grow in the shape of the earth. Look at our logo closely on Facebook. Inside the Afro you will see the Globe. It occurred to me in designing the logo that it was further confirmation that our hair is unique in that it takes on the shape of the earth if left in it’s natural state.

IamChrisjtaylor.com: Chris Rock’s documentary Good Hair asked natural women if they felt discriminated against or at greater odds for discrimination when looking for work. Will PiNK address issues of this sort?

Anifowoshe: Chris Rock did an excellent job in exposing the caveats of the black hair market as well as the deep-rooted issues black women have when it comes to our hair and the desire to wear other races hair to appear beautiful. However, he missed the mark by not offering solutions to the problem. You see we all know that there is some problem in all of this but what have been unresolved are the solutions. That is what PiNK will serve to address. We will teach women how to take care of their natural locs when in Corporate America.

There is nothing different about Institutions having dress code rules. They can suggest that a white male with a beard is not in their code of dress, or a Caucasian woman with a baldhead. Every area has standards. However, we will make it clear to Corporate America and the world that Natural is who we are andto conform may be a neat style but it does not mean a straight style. I further believe that as we accept ourselves the Corporate America part will be easy.

Many naturals will tell you that they have far greater problems from within the race than from the outside. Caucasians are often fascinated by natural hair. It is the Blacks who have yet to understand the beauty of their hair. So in short, absolutely PiNK will address dealing with biases not only in corporate America but in everyday life as well. The PiNK’s will be able to face the world with great pride and dignity. That is my goal.